'It's too easy to go into every battle. You won't win the Arc that way'
Julian Muscat meets the French trainer who fell in love with West Sussex
A particularly juicy fruit dangled from the tree of knowledge in David Menuisier’s Garden of Eden.
The Coral-Eclipse Stakes had cut up to seven runners at the five-day stage. An illustrious race beckoned him to change course with Wonderful Tonight, who’d won the Hardwicke Stakes just nine days earlier. However, even though the Eclipse was ripe for plucking, Menuisier resisted temptation.
It will be three months before Menuisier learns of the wisdom of his decision. After her thumping victory in the Fillies & Mares Stakes on Champions Day, Wonderful Tonight was kept in training at four with one specific target. All roads pointed to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Any detours to the scenic route ran the risk of leaving the Arc behind.
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